From the Walsall Express & Star, Saturday, 6th August 2011. Click for a larger version.

So, farewell then, to the Rising Sun. It appears that on Friday night idiots broke into the old, derelict pub and started a fire that caused considerable damage. Yet again it appears a piece of our collective history has fallen foul of the plague of arson that seems to result in the destruction of any historically significant, derelict old building.

There was talk that the Rising Sun was to be reopened and refurbished, but sadly, it came to nothing. I haven’t checked out the damage yet, but surely it can’t be long before this pub falls to the bulldozer just like so many others locally. If that’s the case, it’s criminal, and yet another symptom of the malaise befalling our great tradition of community pubs.

With another boozer just the other side of the roundabout, I can see that making this one pay, with it’s isolation from the main sprawl of Brownhills, would be very difficult indeed, with only the nearby estate of Brownhills West to support it.

We need to get behind our local watering holes, and use them or face losing them. There are some good houses locally, and they are still great places to go. The Stymaster has reviewed many pubs for his indeispensible Publog site which should be essential reading for any local beer hunter.

It really makes me wonder though – as a reformed smoker, we were all told that when the smoking ban was introduced, the pubs would be chocfull of people who never previously visited them due to the off-putting smokey atmosphere. Oddly, those people don’t seem to have materialised, and the smokers seem to prefer to stay at home with a cheap can or two from the supermarket rather than endure dithering in the cold to have a fag with a £3 pint in their hands. Surely a better accommodation could have been achieved?

The derelict rising sun, as it looked last week. Taken for my 30daysofbiking mini blog.

22 Responses to The sun sets on another pub

It was a good pub- we used to regularly drop in for Sunday lunch after a walk to Chasewater, then it all went badly downhill: The ale disappeared, then the decent lager dissapeared, as did the food, then it shut. The Crown is a poor substitute- more of a canteen than a pub, sadly.

Coincidentally, I heard about this tragedy while partaking in a rather disappointing pub crawl, and posted this bemoaning crap pubs.

TOP OAK STILL GOING.
MIDDLE OAK STILL GOING.
ANCHOR INN STILL GOING
WARRENERS ARMS GONE!
THE WHEEL INN GONE!
THE WHEATSHEAF GONE!
OGLY CLUB STILL GOING.
SANKEYS CLUB STILL GOING.
MIDDLETON HOUSE GONE!
THE RAILWAY TAVERN GONE!
SMITHYS FORGE/SPORTSMAN/TOP CLUB STILL GOING.
THE STATION HOTEL GONE!
THE SHOULDER OF MUTTON STILL GOING.
BAR 7 GONE!
THE HUSSEY ARMS ?????
THE JOLLY COLLIER GONE!
THE GREEN DRAGON GONE!
RISING SUN GONE!
THE CROWN STIL GOING.
PEAR TREE COTTAGE GONE!
THE ROSE VILLA STILL GOING.
THE DOLRIC GONE!
THE PRINCE OF WALES ?? HELP, IS IT STILL OPEN?
THE CHASE IN? THINKS ITS GONE, HELP.

24 Pubs which i have frequented at one time or another. these venues were all in or around Brownhills.
Only 9 left as i can see for sure.
24 was probably too many for a town of our size.

Would be interesting to know who now owns it? Still the same guy as before? If they have no intention of doing anything with the historic pubn a least see if anyone else do I know there was talk of planning permission being place for hotel on the back.. That would be great putting the place back in previous glory, arguablly that was when it was at its most successful holding weddings etc

The smoking ban hit right at the start of recession in july 2007. It certainly hasn’t helped pubs but would they still be going strong in the current climate, even with smoking? Look how many major high street names have vanished since 07, it’s difficult to measure the smoking ban’s impact given the state of the wider economy.

Of course, pubs have been closing for a very long time, not just in the last 20 years. Just on the Watling Street in the sixties there were the Anglesey Arms, Doody’s Club (for a time relocated as the Castle Club) and the Queen’s Head. Previously, there was also The Lamb. As a boy my father lived in Chapel Street, somewhere behind the Chapel, and he said that had originally been a pub, too. Obviously, all of these would not be sustainable today, but they probably weren’t viable even in their heyday as many were run by full time coal miners or other workers and their families. The private car and ease of communication generally are probably the real factors in changing people’s sense of community (this blog is a community in which face to face meeting is unnecessary and doesn’t cost £3 per pint!) as social and family networks become more dispersed. Sadly, I suspect the decline of the pub, especially as a traditional ale house, is set to continue.
Bottoms up!
Andy

can any one tell me who ownes the rising sun pub now as i am interested in buying it, would love to build a independent living accommodation. i have thought about it and would call the home THE RISING SUN. please can anyone help, thanks carol

Hi Carol, my family owned the rising sun for many years but planning permission for a private dwelling could never be granted as the premises had to be ‘no change of use’ which is why my family did a complete ‘U’ turn and opened a hotel.

Hi there, have been talking to Dad, who restored the rising sun back in 1972. Dad was a master builder and uncovered some rather telling architectural features which point to the Rising Sun being first built around 1630. Any building built before 1700 is supposed to be classed as a ‘listed building’ – we spent years gathering various pieces of the Rising Suns history, I am so upset that it has been left in this appalling state and intend now to approach the local council to assess if it can now be classed as a listed building. When we ran the rising sun as a hotel it was exceptionally successful and didn’t have to rely solely on local custom.

Dad has been doing some research himself and might have a lead as to the ownership but nothing positive. I have written to 2 trusts in the hope of getting them on board to save the pub but have never received a response from either of them. My Father has a wealth of information regarding the building and its’ structure but mostly in the confines of his brilliant brain. Believe me, the Rising Sun is an ancient building well deserving of protection and with a wealth of history that might just make your toes and hair curl.
Maybe a local councillor may be able to help???

Hi, thank you Bob, I will do this right now. Hopefully we can save this magnificent building and register the history belonging to it for many years to come. I will of course keep in touch to keep you informed of any updates and I am sure to ask for further assistance. Bless you xx

Hi Bob, and everyone who has commented. I was just wondering if anyone knows the owner of this pub? As I’m very interested in buying it, if it’s for sale. I would love to turn it back into what it used to be! A pub!

If anyone can help, or let me know contact details, I would be very grateful.